for dear life

Idioms  

1. Also, for one's life. Desperately, urgently, so as to save one's life. For example, When the boat capsized, I hung on for dear life, or With the dogs chasing them they ran for their lives, or She wanted that vase but I saw it first and hung on to it for dear life. These expressions are sometimes hyperbolic (that is, one's life may not actually be in danger). The first dates from the mid-1800s, the variant from the first half of the 1600s. Also see for the life of one.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

for dear life

That size and athleticism often leaves defenders with no recourse but tugging, grabbing and hanging onto Smith for dear life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Music festivals have been under threat for years, with dozens calling it a day and many others seemingly just about hanging on for dear life.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

"Funnily enough, I don't have many regrets in the fifth set because I was hanging on for dear life, to be honest. I was exhausted."

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

What the 10-2 Sooners excel in, instead, is hanging on for dear life, making a nuisance of themselves, and pulling out one hard-fought victory after another.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025

But the way Cas was swaying and holding on to the wall for dear life made him pretty sure she couldn’t say the same.

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

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